A federal judge ordered early Thursday that the White House immediately restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, saying that President Donald Trump's directive barring the three news outlets was most likely unconstitutional. In granting a 14-day temporary restraining order reinstating the outlets access while their legal challenge proceeds, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly wrote that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed in their lawsuit against the Trump administration, at least on the grounds that their credentials were revoked last week without due process. Trump, he wrote, did not dispute that the outlets did not receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before their hard passes were revoked.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for overnight comment from NBC News. Trump had posted on social media before a Wednesday hearing in the case that he expected the totally disloyal Kelly, whom he nominated to the bench during his first term, to rule against him — adding that as usual, well go for appeal.